+34
Stuart Grehan overcame a slow start to secure 1.5 points on day one of the Walker Cup at Lahinch, defeating world number one Preston Stout in a thrilling singles match after a shared foursomes result.
Irish golfer secures one-and-a-half points after taking on the world's top amateur over 36 holes on day one Stuart Grehan of Great Britain & Ireland celebrates after making a birdie to win on the 18th hole against Preston Stout of the United States during the afternoon singles matches on day one of the Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club.
Photograph: Warren Little/Getty ImagesLahinch was the perfect theatre as Ireland's Stuart Grehan went mano-a-mano against the world's top amateur over 36 holes on day one of the It was a day of golf at its purest as a knowledgeable crowd at the Co Clare links were treated to an intimate affair with the R&A allowing fans to follow every shot from close range and walk the pristine fairways side-by-side with the players. The Irish Open at Lahinch had up to 20,000 people per day, whereas the Walker Cup limits it to 8,000.
The location of the Old Course of Lahinch so close to the town means that even passersby can have a look on from the road on the fourth and fifth holes and fans sat only a few feet from the putting surface on the ninth. Not that it made it any less noisy though, as the local crowd gave it socks for the GB&I players, particularly home favourite Grehan, the lone Irish player who played the opening tee shot in his foursomes alongside England's Elliot Baker against opponents Stout and world number nine Ethan Fang.
Tiger Woods given five-year licence suspension after no-contest plea As the masses followed Grehan all day, it felt like more than 8,000 on site as they crowded alongside their man. With some Clare jerseys spotted in the crowd, it gave the feel of the rush of a post-GAA match pitch invasion, with excited fans almost chasing the ball down to the greens.
Stout would later express his displeasure at "f*****g terrible crowd control" as the pressure came on in his singles match. The crowd though displayed good nature and decorcum throughout, even if one spectator would call Stout "slow as f**k" after a typically methodical pre-shot routine. But at least the comments were only to the ears of a handful in close proximity rather than shouted in his face like the last Ryder Cup.
That crowd freedom was occasionally taken advantage of, with one young fan approaching Grehan for an autograph at a tense moment in his foursomes match, a request that was politely declined. With smaller crowds, it was not difficult to find an unobstructed view, particularly at the sixth hole, aptly named Paradise, as the sound of waves crashing and the sun coming out gave it a heavenly complexion.
The west of Ireland weather has a mind of its own, from 60km/h winds on Friday to lashing rain on Thursday. On Saturday morning there was only a gentle breeze, with even the Americans in their T-shirts by the end of their round. Big crowds follow the morning foursomes match between Stuart Grehan and Eliot Baker against Preston Stout and Ethan Fang on the 14th hole.
Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images Grehan led the way for GB&I in a tit-for-tat match and put his team ahead by hitting the green in one on the short par-four 13th. The Tullamore man was left with several long lag putts and chips on the way in, with Grehan saying Baker was "probably giving me a little bit far today considering where we were". One particularly adept pitch at the 14th left his partner clapping along with the gallery.
The match had a wild finish typical of match play, Stout holing from 25 feet for birdie on 16 and Baker missing from three feet on 17 to give the Americans the lead. Stout and Fang had struggled with a stomach virus earlier in the week and Stout's final putt would have left him sick to his stomach, missing from short-range to make it honours even in the opening game.
Grehan was bullish about his game afterwards, but with barely time for a patron to sink a Guinness, he was back facing Stout again in the first match of the singles. A few clumsy shots by Grehan and the world number one was three up through three, Grehan a picture of dejection when his tee shot at the fourth went awry into the hay on the Klondyke hole. Stout and Grehan are in different stages of their career.
For Stout, winner of the Mark McCormack medal following in the footsteps of the likes of Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Patrick Cantlay, his goal is to be top dog before focusing on winning PGA Tour tournaments. At 22, the Texan has a professional-ready game, finishing 15For Grehan, this is his major, a week he had pencilled down from the moment he was reinstated to play as an amateur.
At 33 years old and with this only being the third staging of the Walker Cup in Ireland, moments like this may never come around again. Grehan managed to manufacture a shot towards the green and get up and down for birdie to halve the hole. He then played some of the golf of his life, making eight birdies in 14 holes, despite the course toughening up in high winds.
The home fans gave him a standing ovation on the 18th green as he finished with a birdie to secure a half-point after a 36-hole marathon with the world's top amateur
Stuart Grehan Preston Stout Walker Cup Lahinch Amateur Golf Ireland United States Foursomes Singles Birdie Golf Course Crowd Atmosphere Match Play
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New bus and rail fare hikes mark a turning pointExchequer subvention of bus and rail services had reached €940m this year
Read more »
Tottenham exclude Richarlison from squad as search for first point continuesHead coach Roberto De Zerbi confirms 29-year-old Brazilian is no longer part of the club's plans after he turns down a contract extension and refuses to be sold. Tottenham are yet to score in the league this season.
Read more »
Stuart Grehan leads GB&I to opening day advantage at Walker CupStuart Grehan, the lone Irishman on the Great Britain and Ireland team, hit the opening tee shot at the 51st Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club. His foursomes match with Eliot Baker against world number one Preston Stout and Ethan Fang ended all-square, giving each side a halved point. In the bottom match, Niall Shiels Donegan and Josh Hill secured a commanding 4 and 3 win over Ryder Cowan and Josiah Gilbert. GB&I took a 2½ to 1½ lead after the opening foursomes, aiming to end recent American dominance in the event.
Read more »
Grehan puts Walker Cup comeback from 14 foot to defeat world number oneSTUART GREHAN PRODUCED one of the standout moments of the Walker Cup when putting a 14-footer on the eighteenth hole in Lahinch to defeat the world's top ranked amateur golfer Preston Stout in their singles match. Tullamore native Stuart is the only Irish golfer on Team GB & I, he commanded a strong support at the famous Clare links which became only the third Irish course to host the international match.
Read more »